


Unaccustomed Wine

by havocthecat



Series: SG1 On Atlantis [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Characters In Hiding, Community: danjanficathon, Crossover, F/M, Het, Minor Threesome Pairing, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-01
Updated: 2006-12-01
Packaged: 2017-11-05 01:21:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/400354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havocthecat/pseuds/havocthecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one knows why the Ori are after the Fraiser family (which includes Daniel Jackson, but everyone knows why they want him).  Jack sent them to Atlantis to hide out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unaccustomed Wine

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here on LJ](http://havocthecat.livejournal.com/470296.html?style=mine). This is one of my earliest SGA stories. It has copious author's notes, all of which you can check out in the original LJ posting.

"Well, what are they sending _him_ here for?" asked John, following Elizabeth down the corridor.

"Because he's escorting everyone else," said Elizabeth, her eyes darting around Atlantis.

"Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran, members of SG-1--the flagship team of Stargate Command, might I add--are escorting a doctor and her teenage daughter to Atlantis?" asked John. "Why? There's gotta be a reason."

Elizabeth stopped, turned to face John, and held one hand up to forestall the protest he'd opened his mouth to make. "We'll cover it in the briefing," she said firmly.

"Elizabeth, as ranking military officer, I need--" started John.

Elizabeth sighed. She never _could_ get John to keep quiet when he had something to say. Not easily, at least. "John!" she snapped.

He fell silent, crossing his arms and staring at her, waiting.

"Wait for the briefing, please," she said, her voice softening. "The security clearance required for this is stunning. The only reason I was made aware of the situation beforehand was so that I wouldn't be taken by surprise when our guests arrived on the Daedalus."

"Oh," said John, turning his head to the side to study her as he nodded. "Right. So when is the briefing?"

"As soon as we get to the briefing room," said Elizabeth, gesturing down the hallway. She looked at John expectantly, and he started walking alongside her again. "I've asked Hermiod to beam our guests directly there, so we'll be joining them, rather then waiting for their arrival."

"Rodney here?" asked John. "He mentioned he was maybe gonna hit the briefing early."

"On the off chance that Colonel Carter would be joining us," said Elizabeth, her eyes gleaming with laughter she didn't voice. "Which she won't be, and no, he's not here. The only Atlantis personnel cleared to be at this briefing are you and I, John."

"Right." John nodded as Elizabeth pushed open the door to the briefing room, and followed her in.

Vala was slouching back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other and kicking absently. A slightly disgruntled-looking girl--on the older end of the teenage spectrum, if John had guessed right--was sitting next to her, arms crossed and an explosive sigh heaving out of her as Vala leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Colonel Caldwell sat at his usual chair, his relaxed pose marred somewhat by the glare he gave Vala and the teenager. Vala noticed, smiled sweetly at him, and wiggled her fingers in a teasing wave. As Colonel Caldwell's glower deepened, John was very, very glad that he wasn't the target of the Colonel's ire. This time. But he was going to have to tell Lorne to warn everyone to be on their best behavior while Caldwell was here, because the guy was gonna be on a hair-trigger the whole time.

Dr. Jackson was standing behind the table, hands in his pockets, and slouching down, a worried look on his face as he whispered with an unbelievably short, red-haired woman. They both turned as Elizabeth cleared her throat politely, and pasted something resembling smiles on.

"Dr. Fraiser, Ms. Fraiser, welcome to Atlantis," said Elizabeth, her mouth curving into the same gracious smile she used for delicate diplomatic negotiations. John frowned slightly and took his seat, crossing his arms. Something was niggling at the back of his mind. "Daniel, Vala, welcome back."

Dr. Fraiser and stepped forward, taking a seat next to the teenage girl, who threw her a grateful look. "Dr. Weir," said the woman, giving a polished, professional nod. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, we just _love_ it here, don't we, Daniel?" exclaimed Vala brightly. "It's going to be so much _fun_ , being out here doing--" She paused, her head tilting artfully. "What exactly is it we're going to be doing out here, darling?"

Dr. Fraiser glowered as Dr. Jackson shifted uncomfortably. "We've been over this, Vala," he said tightly.

"Yeah, like, a zillion times," said Ms. Fraiser, rolling her eyes. John really had to get first names on them soon. After he figured out whatever it was he was trying to figure out. "Getting tired of hearing about it. Okay?"

"You've been hanging out with the General too much, honey," murmured Dr. Fraiser, the severity of her voice softened by the twinkle in her eyes.

"No such thing," said Ms. Fraiser, pouting.

"He told you to say that," said Dr. Jackson abruptly.

"Did not," said Ms. Fraiser, huffing and giving him a scathing look.

"Did too," said Dr. Jackson, his brow drawing into a furrow.

"Did--"

"Enough!" Dr. Fraiser and Elizabeth's eyes met as they realized they'd spoken simultaneously, and they shared a look of rueful amusement.

"Didn't you two just meet?" asked John, frowning.

Dr. Jackson was looking between Elizabeth and Janet worriedly. "Uh, yeah, they did," he said.

"Looks like Daniel being annoying is a universal constant," added Vala. She'd added fidgeting with a curl of hair to the kicking she'd been doing, and John resisted the urge to tie her to the chair so she'd just stop _moving_ already.

"Vala--" Dr. Fraiser's voice was strained.

"Right, right," she said, pouting. She sat up straight, folded her hands in her lap, and looked like she was about to perform in a recital. "Leave Daniel alone, Teal'c will be sad and bereft enough without me as it is, and besides, we're not here to play or have fun or anything _boring_ like that, not when the fate of the galaxy lies in the balance." She slouched again, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her cheek on one fist, and giving Dr. Fraiser a slow smirk. "Did I get it right this time?"

"Perfect," said Dr. Fraiser dryly.

"Fate of the galaxy?" asked John, glancing around the room.

"Looks like it," said Dr. Fraiser, her lips pressed tightly shut.

"Elizabeth, you wanna tell me what's going on here?"

This time it was Colonel Caldwell who swiveled his chair and spoke. "The four people you see in this room are being sought by the Ori," he said gruffly.

"Lucky us," said Dr. Fraiser. The way she didn't roll her eyes spoke volumes about the military discipline oozing out of every pore of her skin. Which meant they were probably going to have to break her out of every preconceived notion of how a military base should be run. Unless she was SGC? But John hadn't met her when they'd been recalled to Earth after the siege.

"The Ori want you guys?" asked John. His eyes widened. "What's up with that? Why would they want a doctor and a kid?" He paused, then added quickly, "No offense."

"None taken," said Dr. Fraiser, but by the way she and her girl--John was gonna assume Ms. Fraiser was the daughter of Dr. Fraiser 'til someone told him otherwise--were glaring at him, John didn't believe them.

Dr. Jackson leaned forward, arms outstretched as his hands gestured in a nonverbal language that Elizabeth seemed to understand perfectly. "Ah, you see, that's the thing," he said. His gaze didn't just rest on John, but swept the room, and he spoke faster, with each word tumbling out of him in a wave. "We don't know why the Ori want Janet and Cassie--"

"It's _Cassandra_ ," muttered the girl, throwing Dr. Jackson a sullen look. Vala made a 'right on' gesture at Cassandra that was summarily ignored. Well, that answered the question of which of the Fraisers was who.

"Yes, sorry," said Dr. Jackson, not breaking stride. "I'll get used to that one of these days. Look, what with Vala's unique situation, and the fact of my previous two Ascensions--"

"Two?" asked Dr. Fraiser, frowning at Dr. Jackson.

 _That_ broke Dr. Jackson's torrent of words. "Uh, yeah," he said uneasily, pushing up his glasses and then using that same hand to push his hair back. Never mind the fact that it was military-short and didn't need to be pushed out of the way. "Did I not tell you about that?"

"You most certainly did _not_ , Daniel," said Janet sternly.

"Um, yeah," he said, almost repeating his same gestures. "Can we get into that later?"

"Oh, we will be," said Dr. Fraiser, her voice irritated. "You'd better believe it."

Dr. Jackson winced. The guy who'd faced down System Lords without blinking and endured torture and--reportedly--a couple of deaths was blinking when Janet was annoyed at him? John glanced over at Elizabeth, saw the smirk that was threatening to come out, and decided to pretend he'd been checking his watch.

Vala, on the other hand, just laughed. "She's got you this time, Daniel," she said. "Oh, Janet, I really, really _like_ the effect you have on this man," she said. She leaned forward, and in a loud whisper, said, "I forgive you for stealing him from me."

Dr. Fraiser's mouth was pressed into a tight frown, and John was suddenly hoping that she wasn't going to be assigned to an infirmary rotation.

"Vala--" started Dr. Jackson.

Janet cut him off with a sharply upraised palm that did not--absolutely not--bring to mind Elizabeth using nearly the exact same gesture with him on their way to this briefing. "You have Cameron to keep you company now," she told Vala.

John blinked. But hadn't Vala said something about Teal'c being lonely?

"Uh, Janet?" said Dr. Jackson tentatively. "Vala's with Teal'c now."

"Oh, yes, Teal'c too," said Vala, turning to Dr. Jackson and nodding fervently. "But not with both of them at the same time, because that would mean that Cameron is happy--" She paused, frowned. "No, wait, cheerful."

Cassandra snickered.

She pointed at Cassandra without looking at her. "Just because you've had longer to acclimate, young lady--"

"The word you're thinking of is gay," said Cassandra, rolling her eyes.

"Gay! Yes, that's it exactly!" Vala looked up at them brightly. "Because then it would look like Cameron was gay, and that's apparently illegal in your country's armed forces." Vala nodded proudly, then noticed Elizabeth choking on her coffee. "Are you feeling all right, Dr. Weir? Janet here is a medical doctor. I'm sure she could help if you were choking to death. Why, in fact, she's helped me quite well during _several_ medical emergencies--"

"Vala!" snapped Dr. Jackson, his jaw clenched tight.

"Why, Daniel," said Vala, her eyes wide and guileless. She held a strand of hair out to the side, twirling it and tilting her head at him. "I was only trying to ascertain if Dr. Weir--"

"Enough," said Dr. Jackson tightly. Was that the sound of Dr. Jackson's _teeth_ grinding together? Damn...

"If we could get back to the reason why we're here," said Janet, slightly testily.

"I was just thinking the same thing," said Elizabeth, collecting herself and sitting up straight once again.

"Yes, well, if Vala would just--"

"Daniel," said Dr. Fraiser warningly. "Focus." John was starting to be a little afraid of this woman. He was already worried about Vala running through the entire contingent of Marines and leaving a trail of broken hearts while he was here. And he wasn't sure if that included the women as well as the men, but after thinking about for it a little bit, John was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

Dr. Jackson sighed explosively, his head ducking down briefly, then coming back up again. "Yes, yes, where were we?" he asked.

"The Ori," supplied Colonel Caldwell, and the first thing John was going to do after this briefing was go right to his office, and finish the last few reports he needed to file. John was damn well not gonna let Caldwell rip him a new one after learning he'd been dealing with this bunch for weeks on end.

"Oh, yeah, that's right, the Ori--" Dr. Jackson frowned, and Elizabeth looked at him intently. "They want us. All four of us. And we don't know why, but Jack decided we weren't going to take chances, so he shipped us off to Pegasus, where we'd be safer."

"And pulled me out of my _last semester_ of college," grumbled Cassandra. So, not quite a teenager any more. But close enough. "Jerk."

"Jack as in 'General O'Neill,'" said John slowly. "Right? Just so I'm clear on who Jack is, and why he thinks that a galaxy full of life-sucking aliens is safer?"

Dr. Fraiser snorted. "When I get back, he and I are going to--"

Dr. Jackson winced again. John wasn't gonna ask. He didn't wanna know. "Something happened?" asked John. Damn. This was why his COs were always saying he was stupidly impulsive.

Vala grinned. John was beginning to fear that smile. "Oh, yes!" she said brightly. It was always brightly when she was saying something she knew was going to bother people. If John didn't have to deal with the trail of chaos she was going to leave behind, he'd have been grinning right along with her. "He had Colonel Carter go and pack a bag for Janet, and then asked Hermiod to beam her directly on board from his office."

John blinked. "Seems kinda high-handed of him," he drawled. "Even if he's got two stars."

"High-handed?" asked Dr. Fraiser, nodding once. "Yes, it is. Regardless, Colonel Sheppard, we do need to keep this briefing on-track." John frowned. _He_ wasn't the one doing all the arguing.

"Do you have any theories about what the Ori would want with the four of you?" asked Elizabeth, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table, pen clasped in her hands.

"Not really," said Dr. Jackson, with an indecipherable look at Vala. Her normal cheery mood was dimmed, and Dr. Fraiser slanted a sympathetic look in her direction as well.

John studied them, slouching back a little more as all the new folks reacted to that zinger. "You gotta have _some_ idea," he said.

Dr. Jackson frowned at him. "I said _not really_ ," he repeated slowly.

"Well," said Elizabeth, nodding once. From her expression, John knew she hadn't been fooled. He just wondered if the Earth folks realized that. "It doesn't matter why, only that we keep you away from them. Daniel, you'll be attached to our anthropology department, but your sole purpose is to review sites we've discovered that may hold a ZPM. Finding one is, officially, your primary concern."

Dr. Jackson nodded at her. "To be honest, Elizabeth, it's a primary concern no matter what else is going on in either galaxy. I'd hoped to spend a great deal of time doing just that kind of research."

"Not too much time," murmured Dr. Fraiser, glancing at Daniel with barely a hint of a smile.

"Dr. Fraiser, I had a harder time coming up with something you could do here, since we already have a CMO," said Elizabeth.

Dr. Fraiser nodded once, remaining silent.

Elizabeth noted that with a slightly raised eyebrow, but continued. "I'm dividing the science department into two separate divisions--biological sciences, and physical sciences. You'll be working with Rodney as head of the biological science department. He'll continue to head up the physical sciences."

"I'm suddenly glad Sam packed for me," murmured Dr. Fraiser.

"Dr. McKay's allergy to citrus?" asked Vala, her voice quietly amused.

"Orange blossom perfume," confirmed Dr. Fraiser softly.

Cassandra covered her mouth and leaned forward, stifling laughter, while Dr. Jackson looked warily at the sudden rapport between Vala and Dr. Fraiser.

Elizabeth's amused gaze met John's slightly darker one, and she raised one eyebrow at him. He flashed a sardonic grin at her. "Taking over half the science department from McKay, Dr. Fraiser, you'd better know how to handle him," said John. "He can be pretty abrasive."

Dr. Fraiser gave him this _look_ he couldn't interpret.

Dr. Jackson looked away, and Vala's eyes went wide and her mouth formed a silent 'oh.' Cassandra just crossed her arms and smirked at him.

"I, uh, guess you have experience handling abrasive patients?" ventured John.

"Dr. Fraiser is well-known for her diplomacy, tact, and ability to convince recalcitrant patients to work with her," said Elizabeth, amused. "Why do you think I'm throwing her to the wolves?"

"Because you couldn't think of anything else to do with me that would be believable?" asked Dr. Fraiser, turning to Elizabeth.

"That would be part of it," agreed Elizabeth complacently.

"There's, ah, not going to be bloodshed now, is there?" asked Dr. Jackson carefully.

"I think we understand each other," said Dr. Fraiser slowly, her eyes locked with Elizabeth's. She very deliberately switched her gaze to look at John. "Do we understand each other, Colonel?"

"I don't know," he drawled, leaning back easily. "Guess we're gonna have to see how it goes, won't we?"

Dr. Fraiser nodded once. "Fair enough."

"If it's time to move on, you two?" asked Elizabeth, looking between John and Dr. Fraiser expectantly.

"Oh, absolutely," said John, waving one hand.

Dr. Fraiser nodded at both of them, her smile extremely polite. Dr. Jackson relaxed into his chair with a sigh.

"And Vala, you'll be attached to Colonel Sheppard's team for now," continued Elizabeth, as if the past few minutes hadn't happened.

"I will?" asked Vala, confused. "I wanted to explore the city. There might be _artifacts_." The way she said it made John think she meant to add a 'valuable' in there.

"I know," said Elizabeth, tapping at her papers. "Nevertheless, I think you'll get into less trouble off-planet."

Dr. Jackson heaved an exaggerated sigh. "You don't know Vala very well yet, do you?" he asked.

"What harm can she possibly do with Colonel Sheppard to watch over her every move?" asked Elizabeth.

"You don't know Vala very well at _all_ ," said Daniel. Not to mention, Elizabeth was conveniently forgetting the kind of trouble John and his team could get into. John glanced warily over at her, hoping she'd _keep_ forgetting that.

"Ooh," said Vala. "Colonel, doesn't your team have that lovely man with the long hair and the dark skin? What was his name? Ronon? I'm sure he and I will get along _perfectly_ well."

"And here I thought you'd get along with Teyla better," said Elizabeth. "She's a trader."

"Really?" purred Vala. "So she knows all the local business opportunities?"

John frowned. "Gee, thanks, Elizabeth," he said, throwing her a dirty look. "I'll be sure to blame you the first time she lands us in hot water."

Elizabeth at least had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I'm sure it will be fine," she said, though she didn't sound completely certain.

"What about me?" asked Cassandra "Don't tell me I've got to be completely bored here."

"You get to study, dear," said Dr. Fraiser.

"Mom!" Cassandra sat up and looked at Dr. Fraiser with an expression of outrage John hadn't seen--well, if he were going to be honest with himself, it was this morning, when Rodney had gotten disappointed that Elizabeth hadn't accepted his reasoning why they needed to test the new explosives _right now_.

"Just because you have to delay your last semester of college doesn't mean you get to slack off," said Janet tartly.

"I agree," said Elizabeth. "That's why you're going to be working with the scientists. In addition to your helping to test technology native to Atlantis, Dr. Zelenka will be working with you to expand your knowledge of astrophysics, and Carson has offered to let you do rotations in the clinic."

"She's got the gene?" asked John, frowning at Cassandra.

Cassandra stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah, some of us are a little more _evolved_ then you Tau'ri." Tau'ri? Wait, was the girl an alien? He didn't think aliens had the gene.

"Cassandra!" snapped Dr. Fraiser.

"What?" she asked, sullenly.

"We had this conversation, honey." John winced. Those icy tones didn't sound promising.

"I think it's fine," said Cassandra, crossing her arms. "It's not like you and Daniel even count any more, not since you and he--"

"Cassandra Fraiser!" Dr. Fraiser's voice was whipcrack loud in the conference room, and John stared as Cassandra stopped and stared at Dr. Fraiser. "I don't want to talk about that. Particularly not here."

"And on that note," said Elizabeth, glancing warily at them, then giving John a 'let's not touch _this_ one' look. "This meeting is ended. Hermiod is going to beam you back to the Daedalus, and we're going to do an official greeting and debriefing."

"I can hardly wait," sighed Dr. Fraiser.

"Whatever," said Cassandra, crossing her arms in a huff.

***

"Colonel?" Major Lorne jogged up to him, holding onto a laptop, and John frowned. He'd been hoping to avoid dealing with paperwork today.

"Major," said John, speeding up. He'd been just leaving the control room now, trying to get out to the mess to snag lunch before he got stuck giving the new military contingent the standard 'welcome to Atlantis, don't let the Wraith suck you dry' speech. It was politer than it sounded, but only because Elizabeth had insisted.

"I've been going through the paperwork on the new arrivals, and I think we've had some kind of mistake." Lorne sounded more annoyed than usual, but he was staying polite? Okay, there was something weird here.

"What kind of a mistake?" asked John, stopping and holding his hand out.

"You've got Cassie Fraiser and Doc Fraiser on the manifest," said Lorne. "Doc Fraiser's been dead for going on three years now."

"Dr. Fraiser can't be dead," said John, frowning at the laptop. But there it was, right on the screen. Date of death was listed as February 20, 2004. "I just met her in the debriefing."

"Wait, Doc Fraiser's _alive_? And you _met her_?" asked Lorne. "What the hell, Colonel? Pardon the language."

"She's definitely not dead," said John, paging through the personnel file. He handed the laptop back. "I guess the SGC hasn't had a chance to update her file yet."

"I guess not," said Lorne, frowning and shaking his head. "I guess Dr. Jackson's not the only one who can come back from the dead? Any idea where she's going to be assigned to? Me and the rest of the SGC transfers are going to want to stop by and pay her a visit."

"Dr. Jackson came back from the dead?" asked John. He shook his head. "I remember reading a file about when he was _thought_ to be dead--"

"Dr. Jackson's come back from the dead more times than anyone can count," said Lorne, grinning. "Except maybe Doc Fraiser can count it, since she had SG-1's medical files memorized. Look, I was _at_ Doc Fraiser's memorial service. She saved the lives of everyone on base, and no offense to Dr. Beckett, but there's no one quite like Doc Fraiser."

"Hey, Carson's a damn fine doctor!" said John, glaring at Lorne.

"No question, sir," said Lorne, holding up his hands. "But he's nice. I still don't think I'm ever gonna get used to that."

John gave Lorne an appraising look. "Elizabeth's splitting up the sciences division," he said. "She's head of biological sciences. McKay's still in charge of physical sciences."

Lorne chuckled. "Oh, I'll bet McKay was _real_ happy to find out about that one," he said.

"As a matter of fact," said John. "Elizabeth was just telling him what was up."

A loud yelp echoed from Elizabeth's office, and John looked up. Rodney was yelling at a very determinedly calm Elizabeth. He glanced back at Lorne. "I'm gonna go and pick up some lunch," he said slowly.

"I've got stuff to do," said Lorne, wincing as Rodney's voice came indistinctly from Elizabeth's office. "Stuff that requires me to be--"

"Away from here," finished John. "I get it, Lorne. Elizabeth's setting Dr. Fraiser up with an office near Rodney's since no one's sure where biochemistry falls yet."

"Understood. See you later, sir," said Lorne, nodding and walking briskly away.

"Oh, things are just _fun_ now, aren't they?" asked John, of no one in particular, before following along in Lorne's wake.

***

"I'll have you know, I'm probably the most annoying person you'll ever meet," said Vala. She surveyed the trees surrounding them, stopping and sighing faintly. "The Wraith are annoying, but I don't count them as _people_ , really."

Teyla bit back a sigh and smiled at Vala. "I am sure that is not true," she said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Couldn't be," said Ronon. He glanced quickly at Rodney.

"No, that honor belongs to Rodney," said John, smiling tightly.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rodney, pausing mid-stride and turning to face John. "I resent that kind of remark. No one else can pull your ass out of the fire like I can."

"Point taken," said John, nodding slowly. "But you're still annoying."

Rodney stared at him, eyes narrowed. "I really hate you sometimes, Sheppard."

"Don't feel bad," said Vala. She smirked at Rondey. "You're the most annoying person from your planet that I've ever met, but you're not the most annoying _person_ I've ever met."

"Oh, _thank you_ ," said Rodney, seething. "I don't really need your help."

"You are...not from Earth, Vala?" asked Teyla, turning to her. A curious look had pushed aside the annoyance.

"Oh, _Lord_ , no," said Vala, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Aren't they cute, though? So very _earnest_. Think they know everything."

"Hey!" exclaimed John. He was thinking about taking it personally. Earth wasn't all _that_ bad.

Teyla moved to stand closer to Vala. "It sometimes seems that way," she said.

"Oh, absolutely." Vala nodded. "But they always mean well, don't they? It's just sometimes hard reminding them that they can't _actually_ have things go their way just because they want them to."

"Wraith," said Ronon, drawing his gun as the whine of a dart hissed through the air.

"We'll talk more later," said Vala, readying her P-90. "You ever heard of the Tau'ri tradition of the slumber party?"

***

"Oh, I absolutely cannot _stand_ that man," said Janet, pacing and whirling in her office

"Who, Rodney?" asked Vala, sitting in the chair in front of Janet's desk, her eyes darting back and forth as she watched Janet. "He's a disagreeable little man, but he _does_ have his uses. Janet, sit _down_ already, will you? I'm positively exhausted from watching you."

Janet stopped and stared at Vala. "You'll survive."

"I expect so, but you're annoying me," said Vala, studying her fingernails idly. "Sometimes I wish there was someplace in this city where I could get a manicure, don't you?"

"A manicure is the _least_ of my worries," said Janet dryly. She hopped up on the edge of her desk and crossed her legs.

"Yes, I know," said Vala. "It's one of the least of mine, but wouldn't it be _nice_?"

"I'd distract me from the annoyance of one Dr. Rodney McKay, at least," muttered Janet. "Couldn't you accidentally shoot him the next time you're off world? Then Carson would have to deal with him for a while, and I could have my meetings with Dr. Zelenka for a while. I _like_ Dr. Zelenka. He's endearing."

"He's got a crush on you," announced Vala.

"What?" Janet leaned forward, both hands grabbing the desk on either side of her. "Radek? I thought he had a crush on Dr. Weir."

"Her too," said Vala, smirking. "But you're an old, married woman, so he only moons after you when he thinks no one is looking."

Janet raised her eyebrows as she gave Vala a _look_ , but Vala had the gall to be completely unintimidated. Sometimes she missed Sam. "Aren't you older than me?" she asked.

"I refuse to say." Vala rubbed a fingertip over one fingernail and sighed at it. "These are ragged. A girl can never be too careful, don't you think?"

"Yes, I don't normally say that about nail care," said Janet.

"You're very obliging when I try to lead up to something," said Vala, grinning up at Janet. "But you take too long to tell me to get to the point. Daniel's _far_ more impatient than you are."

Janet waved her hand at Vala. "Get to the point, then," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Your daughter happens to have plans for a girls' night out with some of the younger ladies of Atlantis," said Vala. "Am I right?"

Janet nodded. "She and Lieutenant Cadman were mentioning something," she said.

"Oh, yes, what was it again?" asked Vala curiously. "That's right, the women are going to take over the shooting range, and then Cassie's going to have to put her money where her mouth is--and that's an absolutely ridiculous term, might I add--about the Jaffa self-defense moves Teal'c drilled into her."

"Oh, _really_ ," said Janet, crossing her arms and looking stern. "That's not what Cassandra told me they were doing."

"Girls will be girls," said Vala, spreading her hands and shrugging. "At least you didn't have me for a daughter--"

"Heaven forbid," said Janet fervently.

"-- _because_ at Cassandra's age, I was sneaking out of my father's house to spend the night with boys," continued Vala, ignoring Janet's statement. "Still, that delightful Laura Cadman and your daughter seem to be getting along _rather_ well, don't you think?"

"Aren't you the one who wanted me to rush you along to the point of the story?" asked Janet, arms still crossed.

"I'm getting there," said Vala, waving one hand vaguely in the air. "Honestly, you have _no_ patience, Janet."

Janet waited silently.

Vala's shoulders sagged. "No witty retort? I'm _crushed_."

"No you're not," said Janet. "You're just mad that I'm not playing along."

"You really _are_ no fun," said Vala, frowning. "I think it's time we girls got to know one another. So I've invited Elizabeth and Teyla to your quarters tonight. Oh, and that delightful Dr. Heightmeyer. She's much more pleasant than Dr. Mackenzie."

"Did you even _consider_ that Daniel and I might have plans?" asked Janet tartly.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" asked Vala, drawing back with an offended look. "Of course I did. Doesn't matter. The anthropology department is planning on kidnapping him after hours and getting him drunk tonight. They think no one knows they've been brewing alcohol in a spare lab."

"Well, Vala, I'm forced to confess that this is the one time I'm hoping you exercised your penchant for larceny," said Janet.

"Did you _even_ doubt me?" asked Vala. "You can reschedule your romantic evening with the dear Dr. Jackson, get out the manicure kit you think I don't know about, and we'll all do our nails and other girly things. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"How do you know I brought a nail kit with me?" asked Janet frowning. "You don't have access to my rooms."

"That's right, I don't," said Vala wonderingly, pointing at Janet. "I tossed your quarters on the Daedalus."

"Vala!" Janet scowled at her.

"What?" Vala shrugged. "A girl's got to know what kind of resources she can come up with on a moment's notice."

"Those are _my_ resources you're being so free with." Janet had begun to wonder if they could legally prosecute her if Vala mysteriously vanished. Or if anyone would want to prosecute her.

"Oh, no, not completely," said Vala. "I told you about it first, didn't I?"

"They're not yours for the taking." Janet sighed. "Not to mention that my quarters aren't there for throwing your parties in."

"You know you want to get to know them better," said Vala. "Come on, the official weekly meetings with Dr. Weir are boring, and you need to get to know Teyla better so we can all go trading offworld some time, don't you think?"

"Trading offworld?" asked Janet warily.

Vala was practically bouncing in her seat. "Don't you think it would be fun?" she asked. "She said she knows _all_ the best spots in this galaxy."

"Sometimes you worry me," said Janet.

"If it's only sometimes, Janet, I'm not working hard enough."

***

"Oh, yes, Daniel handed me a stack of movies when I asked him how women on your planet interact," said Vala, sitting on the floor, lounging back against the side of Janet's bed. She had a box of chocolates in one hand, and was peering at it, one hand hovering over the box as she tried to make a decision.

"What kind of movies?" asked Janet, her eyes narrowed.

"There were lots of naked people doing obscene and immoral things," said Vala. She popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth and talked as she chewed. "Of course, eventually I _did_ figure out that they were all lies, but I never told Daniel that. _I_ was thinking that, when he asks what we did tomorrow, we could tell him we did all of the things on those tapes."

Janet snickered. "Oh, Vala, you're too much," she said.

"I still can't believe he told you that women on Earth behave like women in pornographic films," said Elizabeth, shaking her head. "That doesn't seem like the man I know."

"You've never seen him in one of his pettier moods, have you?" asked Janet. "Good Lord, the man can be a five year old throwing a temper tantrum when he doesn't get his way."

" _I_ still can't believe you married him," said Vala, helping herself to another piece of chocolate. "Honestly, I just thought he'd be good for a night or two of mind-blowing sex."

Kate choked on her glass of wine. "Vala!" she gasped, reaching for the napkin Janet was holding out to her.

"What?" asked Vala guilelessly. "You can't expect me to pretend the man doesn't have some _serious_ muscles going on. Not as many as Teal'c, and not as funny as Cameron, but honestly, who hasn't thought about grabbing Daniel and dragging him into bed for a few hours of debauchery?"

"I'm a lesbian," said Kate.

Vala looked at her blankly while Elizabeth and Janet became _very_ absorbed in trying to decide what piece of chocolate they wanted.

"I'm not attracted to men," explained Kate calmly.

"Really?" Vala looked stunned. "You know, that explains _so_ much about Artemis wanting to partner up with Quetesh."

"Vala--" started Janet.

"Among my people and many others, it is not uncommon for a woman to have both a husband to father her children, and a female lover for companionship," said Teyla calmly.

"There, you see, Janet," said Vala smugly. "You didn't have to turn me down. Teyla says."

Teyla, wisely, didn't say anything.

"Don't be ridiculous, Vala," said Janet tightly.

"You're not being _culturally sensitive_ enough," said Vala patronizingly. She mimed pushing glasses up her nose.

Janet raised one eyebrow at her. "That's really a very poor imitation of Daniel," she said.

"I'm not sure it's possible for anyone else to be _quite_ so patronizing about the subject," said Vala. She paused and waited, but Janet didn't say anything. "Oh, come on, Janet, you know I adore you. Have some more wine." She paused again at Janet's silence, then smiled brightly and batted her eyelashes. "Pretty please?"

"This whole thing was out of our control from the minute we agreed to be here, wasn't it?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

Janet nodded. "I blame Daniel," she said. "He and I are going to have a _long_ chat later."

"Another one?" asked Elizabeth.

Janet nodded.

***

"How's Rodney been taking it?" asked Elizabeth, leaning back in her chair. "The division of the sciences bothered him for quite a while."

"Until he realized I'd be taking over Botany," said Janet. She maintained a professional demeanor, but Elizabeth could see a smirk hiding underneath. "Apparently he's rather uncomfortable around a certain Dr. Katie Brown. Very nice girl, though. Gives some of the more concise explanations out of that department, and she's rather close with a Lieutenant Cadman."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Is she close enough that you shouldn't be looking any further?" she asked. "I'm aware of some of the more stringent military rules."

Janet snorted. "Let's just say that I haven't asked any questions," she said. "And we'll change the topic from there."

"Right," said Elizabeth, nodding. "How has Dr. Parrish been adapting to _not_ having to report to Rodney?"

"Oh, he's blossomed," said Janet dryly. "Apparently not being exposed to Dr. McKay's tirades on a regular basis is just 'the most tremendously thrilling thing, except for finding that _Ranunculus repens_ is common to both the Pegasus galaxy and Earth.'"

"He said that?" asked Elizabeth, amused.

"Among other, similar exclamations of joy," sighed Janet.

Elizabeth's headset activated, and from by the way Janet sat up, her eyes gaze locking with Elizabeth's, her headset had activated too. "Unscheduled offworld activation," said Chuck. "We're not receiving an IDC code, ma'am."

Elizabeth tapped her headset as she stood. "Understood. Dr. Fraiser and I will be right there."

"Any word on who it is?" asked Janet, following Elizabeth out the door of her office.

"Not yet," said Elizabeth.

Janet sighed. "At least you're near the action," she said. "Beats having to hike from the infirmary to here, even _with_ the transporters."

They reached the computer consoles, where Chuck was trying to radio out. "Any success?" asked Elizabeth.

"Nothing, yet," said Chuck. "None of the offworld teams are due to check in for at least five hours."

"Keep the shield up," said Elizabeth, and Chuck nodded at her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw Janet walking slowly toward the stairs. She was staring at the gate, before she froze and whirled around. "Elizabeth, that's Daniel." Her voice was quiet, but her gaze was fiercely intent.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth glanced at Chuck and shook her head minutely.

"Elizabeth, that is Daniel and Colonel Sheppard's team," said Janet. "They're under fire by the Wraith, they're pinned down, and if you don't lower the shield, they're going to die."

"How do you know this?" asked Elizabeth.

"I need you to trust me on this," said Janet. " _Please_."

Elizabeth stared at Janet, and then the gate, weighing the decision. "Lower the shield," she said to Chuck, before turning back to Janet. "When this is over, you and I are going to have a little chat in my office, and you are going to tell me _exactly_ what's going on, or I am shipping you right back to Earth, and to _hell_ with what Jack O'Neill has to say about it."

Janet nodded tersely, looking not the least bit intimidated. "All right."

Ronon and Teyla ran through first, Rodney hanging limply between them. Janet started down the stairs, Elizabeth half a step behind her.

John, Vala and Daniel came through next, walking backwards and firing through the gate. "Oh, Daniel, you just can't keep out of trouble, can you?" asked Vala, glaring at him.

"It wasn't my fault!" yelped Daniel.

"Raise the shield!" snapped John. The shield snapped into place with a gentle hum.

"Rodney is severely injured," said Teyla, as Janet reached them.

Elizabeth slowed and stopped, flinching at the sight of Rodney's shirt and pants covered in blood.

"I don't think he's gonna make it," said Ronon.

"Don't be ridiculous," snapped Janet. "Lay him down and let me take a look."

"Uh, maybe you guys had better back up," said Daniel, wrinkling his nose. "Are you sure you want to do this, Janet?"

"I don't see that I have much choice, Daniel," said Janet, pulling the shreds of Rodney's shirt aside and probing the wound gently. "His abdominal wall is perforated and he's lost a lot of blood; it has been since you started dragging him back to the gate under fire. He's not going to last more than a few minutes if I don't."

" _What_ are you two talking about?" asked Elizabeth.

"Clear the gate room," said Daniel.

"Oh," said Vala, nodding knowingly. "That thing I'm not supposed to know about." She jerked her head at one of the doorways. "Come on, guy. Let's go for dinner, shall we?"

"Not until you tell us what's going on," said John.

Vala shrugged. "I don't know. But it's all very secret, and really, it's probably the best chance you have of Rodney surviving, so we should all clear the gate room and let Janet work."

"My office, Dr. Fraiser," said Elizabeth. "As soon as you're done."

Janet didn't look up, but Elizabeth had the clear sense that she was frowning. "As soon as I wash the blood off my hand," she said. "There are decontamination procedure."

"All right, everybody out!" shouted John, waving one arm around. The few technicians around scattered, and the security guards drew back, leaving slowly as John glared at them.

"Everyone," said Daniel, crossing his arms as he stared at Elizabeth flatly.

" _Almost_ everyone," said Elizabeth, meeting Daniel's gaze and refusing to look away. "Colonel Sheppard and I are staying."

"Fine," said Daniel.

"If Rodney dies because we didn't call Carson--" started John.

"We don't have much time," said Janet. She looked up, glancing around the room, then back down at Rodney. One hand was on his wrist. "His pulse is getting weaker. We're losing him."

"Time to go, boys and girls," said Vala. She grabbed Ronon and Teyla by one arm each and started tugging. "Let the doctor do her thing--" Vala paused. "Whatever it is."

Ronon and Teyla stood their ground, shaking Vala's hands off.

"Get outta here," said John, after giving Elizabeth a measured look. "We'll call you."

"You're clear," said Daniel, the instant Ronon and Teyla left the get room.

Janet nodded once, then leaned forward, her palms flat against Rodney's chest and her fingers splayed out. Elizabeth and John stared as the wounds on Rodney's abdomen slowly knit themselves back together under her touch, until finally, Rodney's eyes fluttered open. "What? Wait, what happened?" he asked. "Weren't we just under attack?"

Janet stood, slowly, swaying dangerously until Daniel moved closer, his arm slipping around her waist. "Lean on me," he murmured.

"Daniel, I need to scrub this blood off me and change," said Janet. "It's not--"

"I don't _care_ ," said Daniel. "Come on. You're exhausted."

"Janet--" John stared at her. "The only person I've ever seen do that sort of thing before was Hedda, and she was about half an inch off Ascending."

"Wait, who?" asked Rodney. He pushed himself up, trying to brush off his clothing and grimacing. "What? What's going on? Why am I covered in blood? Do you know how _unhygenic_ that is?"

"Janet needs to eat," said Daniel. "And time to recover. That takes a lot out of her."

"I can see that," said Elizabeth. "My office, one hour."

"We'll be there," promised Daniel.

***

Elizabeth was sitting in her office, reviewing everything she'd been given on Janet and Daniel before they'd arrived. An hour was hardly enough time to even _begin_ skimming one file, much less both, and before she knew it, Janet and Daniel were walking into her office, heads held high and and expressions resolved. Elizabeth set her laptop down and gestured at the seats in front of her desk, frowning slightly when she saw that Janet and Daniel had already begun to sit down.

"Thank you for coming," said Elizabeth. "I'd like to ask you why--"

"Can we just get this over with?" asked Daniel, slouching back in his seat. "You're going to yell at us for not telling you everything, we're going to tell you Jack told us not to, and then we're going to go around a few times before we start explaining the whole situation to you."

"Daniel!" exclaimed Janet.

"You have to admit, Janet, I'm not _wrong_ ," said Daniel, glancing over at her.

Elizabeth frowned at the sparkle in his eyes. "You sound like you're enjoying this," she said.

"Let's face it, Elizabeth, I'm a little bored all the way out here," said Daniel. "Once you've died a few times, life-sucking aliens really aren't that big a deal."

"I'm sure that you've seen it all before," said Elizabeth, her face set. "But some of us take the Wraith and the threat they represent seriously."

"Do you think we don't?" asked Janet. Her face was pale, and her mouth was set firmly.

"I think Daniel is upset that I'm daring to question him," said Elizabeth. She stared at Daniel challengingly.

"Well, you have to admit, I'm not really sure why you need to know any of this," said Daniel. He smiled toothily at her. "I mean, Jack knows, so I don't see why you need to."

"Daniel!" snapped Janet. She turned in her seat to give him a fierce look.

Elizabeth could see _that_ was finally starting to break through Daniel's bored demeanor. Calling him bitchy would be a little _too_ undignified for her position as head of an intergalactic expedition, and that was a shame. She bit back a smirk at the shocked look on Daniel's face.

"Uh, Janet?" said Daniel hesitantly.

"Leave," she said.

"Janet, I think I need--" started Daniel.

"Out," said Janet. "You and I will talk later, _after_ Elizabeth and I talk."

"Right, then," said Daniel slowly as he stood. "Elizabeth, I'll see you later."

"Oh, you'd better believe _that_ , Daniel," said Elizabeth sharply.

As the door slid shut behind him, Janet turned to Elizabeth. "All right, now that Daniel and his attitude aren't occupying the entirety of the room, maybe we can get something accomplished."

"Most people wouldn't say that about their husbands," said Elizabeth.

"Most people aren't married to Daniel Jackson," said Janet tightly. "Just because I'm in love with the man doesn't mean I'm blind to his faults. It just means I'm willing to put up with them."

***

The door to their quarters whirred open, and Daniel looked up as Janet stepped inside. "Well?" he asked, setting his notebook down.

"I took care of it," said Janet, leaning against the door after it shut. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Elizabeth knows all of it now."

"Goddamn it," said Daniel, slouching back in his chair and pushing his hair back with both hands. "I thought we weren't going to tell anyone."

"Not unless absolutely necessary," said Janet. She crossed her arms and gave Daniel a flat look. "I hope you didn't expect me to let Dr. McKay die."

"No, no," said Daniel quickly. "Of course not. It was just a little _public_ , that's all."

"He wouldn't have survived being moved," said Janet tightly. "I'm not Ascended any more, honey, I can't bring back the dead."

"I know you can't." Daniel stood, coming over to her and drawing Janet into his arms. "I know. But I can honestly say I'd rather have you here, with me, and not out--there. With _them_. I just don't want you to put yourself at risk."

"If I hadn't told Elizabeth to lower the shield in the first place, you wouldn't be here now to worry about me putting myself at risk," said Janet. Daniel looked down and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Her eyes were tight and her mouth was set.

"Come and sit down," said Daniel, tugging on her gently. "Honey, you're exhausted."

"Of course I am," said Janet, one arm wrapping around Daniel's waist as they walked slowly toward the bed. "Did you find a ZPM or two while you were out there?"

"No, but we're getting closer," said Daniel.

"I told Elizabeth that you're able to find more connections in archaeological source materials now," said Janet. "She wants to know why. I didn't tell her that the _reason_ you're able to find those connections is that you're practically clairvoyant, but she's not an idiot. If she hasn't made the connection yet, she will soon."

"Not just practically," murmured Daniel as they sat.

"You could let me pretend we're normal for at least a few minutes," said Janet, leaning against him.

"We've never been normal," said Daniel, his hand stroking through her hair. "Not even before we both Ascended and came back. You know that. I thought you might even have liked it."

"I don't usually mind, but it hasn't been this difficult for a while," said Janet. "I miss Earth. I miss our friends there, and--"

"And you feel guilty at being safe in Atlantis while they put themselves at risk fighting the Ori," finished Daniel. "Except Atlantis isn't exactly safe, given the threat of the Wraith, and the fact that it's a whole unknown galaxy. At least Elizabeth was sensible enough to come into Atlantis without a colonial mindset."

"I _don't_ need to hear the lecture," said Janet firmly.

Daniel chuckled. "I guess you've heard it often enough, haven't you?"

"I could repeat it verbatim," said Janet dryly.

"It's not as much fun if Jack isn't here to roll his eyes," said Daniel.

Janet snorted. "I'll do it for him, if it'll make you shut up," she muttered.

"You don't mean that," said Daniel.

"You wanna try me?" asked Janet, raising one eyebrow as she tilted her face to look up at him.

Daniel kissed her. "Yes. Yes, I think I do."

"You're in trouble, buster," said Janet, reaching up with one hand to cup his cheek.

"Somehow--" Daniel kissed her again. "I think I'll make it through."

"Elizabeth is going to tell Colonel Sheppard the bare minimum of what he needs to know," said Janet.

Daniel sighed. "That was a bit of a mood-killer, Janet."

Janet frowned at him. "You do need to hear this," she said.

"Not really," said Daniel. His smile had more than a hint of smirk to it. "I've already gotten it."

Janet's frown deepened. "I thought you weren't going to eavesdrop on me," she said.

"You're the one who's so attuned to me that you realized we were in danger as soon as we dialed the gate," said Daniel. His lips twitched, and Janet thwapped him lightly on the arm. "Ow, hey!"

"Don't be such a baby," Janet told him. "You've been hurt worse."

"Not by you!" exclaimed Daniel.

Janet sat up and turned to face him, smiling at his pout. "You tell me differently every time I give you an exam."

"Well, that's because that's different," said Daniel.

Janet eyed him. "Try me."

"You're clearly exhibiting your sadistic streak then," said Daniel. "You threaten me."

"You're making no sense." Janet's eyes gleamed, though her expression didn't change.

"But it _is_ cheering you up," he said, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind Janet's ear. "And you need that. Elizabeth's not going to tell anyone, and even if the Ori _do_ find out that we're in Pegasus, she's too smart to let them trick her into revealing anything."

"They want my _daughter_ , because she was a heartbeat away from Ascension. They want my friend, and that's after they've already raped her, forced her to bear their child, and then they _took her daughter_ away." Janet's voice was shaking. "They want you because you've Ascended twice now--"

"And they want you because of the time you've spent Ascended," said Daniel gently. "When we all thought you were dead."

"I always thought you suspected," said Janet.

"I'd hoped," said Daniel. "When I dared to let myself hope that you'd find your way back to us--back to _me_."

"Given that the Ancients are a bunch of stultified, stagnant pains in the neck, did you really doubt I'd tell them where to shove their precious Ascension?" asked Janet tartly. "They're cowards, all of them, who refuse to take responsibility for solving the problems they created, and they can't be brought to acknowledge their mistakes."

"So you're just a little bitter?" asked Daniel.

Janet laughed. "Maybe a little," she said.

"We're together now," said Daniel, reaching for her hand. " _That_ is what matters. We can overcome any obstacle as long as we present a unified front."

Janet laced her fingers through Daniel's. "I don't doubt that," she murmured, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to his mouth.

"You didn't happen to have any plans for the rest of the day?" asked Daniel, reaching one arm around Janet's waist and pulling her into his lap.

"I'd thought about sleeping for a while," said Janet. "Healing Rodney took a lot out of me, and that confrontation in Elizabeth's office didn't help either."

"How about you postpone that nap for a little bit?" asked Daniel, his voice husky. His hand had slipped up, underneath Janet's tan shirt, and his fingers were stroking along her spine. "I don't have anything else to do for a while either."

"Something tells me you want to change all that," said Janet, arching her back as her eyes fluttered closed.

"It occurs to me," said Daniel, pushing Janet's shirt up and leaning over to nuzzle between her breasts. "We haven't really had a chance to relax after nearly being killed a few hours ago."

"If you could call this relaxing," said Janet dryly, pulling her shirt off completely and tossing it onto the floor. "My heart rate just increased."

"Don't I know it," murmured Daniel, putting his hand over Janet's heart, then dragging his palm downward and cupping her breast in one hand, his thumb sliding under the fabric of her bra and circling her nipple. "But the end result is relaxing."

"You are _such_ a guy," said Janet, leaning back and bracing herself on her palms. "Can you get this bra _off_ me already?"

"As my lady commands," said Daniel, reaching back around her and unsnapping it. "Though it would be a lot easier if you'd sit up for just a minute."

Janet opened her eyes and gave Daniel a look that reminded him a little too much of the last physical she'd given him, when she told him--for the millionth time, she'd said--to lay off the caffeine. "Honey, I love you, but you're being a pain," she said, reaching up to strip off her bra, then untucking Daniel's shirt and pulling it over his head.

"I'm very good at it," said Daniel, his arms wrapping around Janet's waist as she straddled him. "Just ask Jack."

"I don't--" Janet's soft lips found his mouth, teasing at them and Daniel shifted as she moved against him. "--want to talk about Jack right now. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Daniel, his hand sliding down the front of Janet's pants, sliding against the curve of her hip and then back, tracing her ass. She groaned, and Daniel's breath caught as she ground herself against him. "God, Janet, I want you."

"I'm right here, baby," murmured Janet, her breath hot in his ear. "Lay back and let's get the rest of these clothes off you." She rose up on her knees as Daniel moved, and helped to tug down his pants and boxers, until she could let them pool on the floor, then stood up and slid her own pants down her legs, stepping out of them and standing in front of Daniel wearing nothing but a pair of plain, tan cotton panties.

Daniel reached out, snagging the waistband of her panties with one finger and tugging it down her legs. Janet kicked her clothing away as Daniel reached into the drawer and pulled out a condom, opening the packet and unrolling it onto his cock. She moved to climb on top of him, smiling. "Much better," he breathed, then groaned as she slid down onto him. His hands settled on her hips, and he thrust up as Janet leaned in to kiss him, moving desperately against him. They moved together, out of breath and moaning, as Daniel's hands slid across Janet's body, teasing at her breasts. She tightened around him, her voice rising, until she shouted hoarsely, jerking against him, and hearing her voice as she moved drove Daniel to pull her close, driving up inside her as he came. They slowed, and stilled, and Daniel wrapped his arms around Janet as she lay against him.

A moment of heavy breathing later, and Janet chuckled against his shoulder. "You're awful, and hopeless, and I love you."

Daniel smiled and pushed Janet's hair back so he could look at her. "I love you too," he murmured. "Think you can face the world again?"

"I could before," said Janet, grinning wryly at him.

"I know," said Daniel. "I just wanted you to myself for a while."

\--end-- 


End file.
